Sunday, October 4, 2009

The Best Tacos on this or any other planet




OK, I am so stinking proud of this. Folks, meet the TACOS!! Luscious Mexican Food treats fit for royalty and 3 points per taco or 8 points for a 3 taco serving.
Here's the way we roll around here:
Ingrediants:
2 lb. 93% Lean Ground Beef (raw) If you can find leaner, use it.
1 cup finely diced potato
Salt, Pepper, chili powder, fajita seasoning, garlic powder (to taste)
24 small (4") corn tortillas
4 tbsp canola oil
3 cups iceberg lettuce (shredded)
2 cups chopped tomato
1 cup diced onion
1 pound low-fat colby cheese or 4 cheese mexican style cheese
1 cup salsa
Add finely diced potato to ground beef along with spices and cook over medium heat until meat is browned but not dry and potatoes are softened. Set aside.
I use Arizona Brand White Corn Tortillas for Tacos and Tostadas. These are 4" tortillas and are 2 for 1 point. If you can find something similar (really thin 4" tortillas) they will probably work.
In a deep sauce pot heat 2 CUPS of canola oil to very hot. Oil should be rippling, but not smoking. Fold tortillas into taco shape gently so as not to break the bottom (the thin tortillas make this easier) and holding from the top with tongs dip rapidly into the hot oil, making sure all of the "taco" gets a bath and remove immediately.
Lay on a cookie sheet, overlapping the next shell on the last one, until all 24 have had their "bath". If this is done right, and the oil is hot enough, if you measured out the oil, pour it back into whatever you used to measure it with (let it cool first) and you should see that the tortillas didn't absorb more than about 4 tablespoons of oil. You need the entire 2 cups for depth in the pot only. Leftover oil can be reused, might have a slight corny taste.
Fill shells using a normal serving spoon. Each shell should take about one ounce of meat. With my spoons, that's about 1 and 1/2 spoon of filling per taco. Do not over fill tacos.
You may have meat left over or you might be short just a little depending on how much you filled the tacos. Play til it works for you.
Put the tacos in the oven at 350 for about 20 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and crispy. Bottoms will stay soft and pliable so you can open them without breaking.
Fill with Lettuce, etc.
This recipe is for 2 dozen tacos because that is what 2 lb of ground beef will make. Freeze any left over meat or use it in a taco salad the next day. Making half the recipe should not affect the Points.

3 comments:

  1. Oh my holy Lord. These look great. The potato with the meat? SHUT YOUR MOUTH! I never thought of that...thank you for posting these. I will try these the next "Taco Buffet" night at my house. Another idea for the corn tortillas - I just microwave mine between 2 wet paper towels and they are just as scrumptious. I mean, I know the fried in oil is to die for, but I don't really feel like I'm missing out TOO much when I just microwave them! Yummy! P.S. I believe Mexican Food cheated on me - he can't be trusted.

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  2. I left a comment...and it didn't show up! :( I'll try to remember what I said! :) This recipe looks so deelish. I will make it the next time we have "Taco Buffet". Potato mixed with the meat? SHUT YOUR MOUTH! I never even THOUGHT of that, mmmm. Yum! Also, I like to microwave my corn tortillas between 2 wet papertowels, still just as scrumptious!

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  3. The oil just allows them to crisp up in the oven really well.

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